My Nonprofit Reviews

Telling you as an exchange student who has gone through this program myself:
I was in a FLEX scholarship program that was fully funded by the USDS.

Good things: being a small organization meant that on monthly meetings, BFF could make everyone feel at home because everyone knew each other and was placed nearby. The organization itself focused on making sure the students discovered every bit life of American life by organizing meetings for every holiday in a homely setting and inviting local leaders, and activists. The communication between me, the host family, and the supervisors was very quick because the supervisors lived relatively close(20 minutes drive), were ALWAYS available for a call, and always checked up on me. Even after my exchange year, I still talk to my supervisor.

Bad things: This organization is highly tight on finances: we had only one trip to a nearby coast city for two days, while other organization would send their students to NY, LA, etc; they required me to spend $25-35 a month on cellphone connection(augmented by always being able to call my supervisors), and $10 on our monthly meetings, which in sum would eat up 30% of my monthly stipend.

The conclusion from my experience with this organization: experience depends solely on the student and the hosting family: if you suit each other, the American dream comes true(that's why it's important to tell your interests very clearly on the application). There were no students in BFF who got sent back home or voluntarily left because everyone was welcomed as a family member, but bigger organizations had those cases with terrible experiences with people being sent home because there were too many students to handle. If you want a homey setting with placement organizations and other exchange students throughout the year, it is for you. If you want something more challenging or simply bigger, then go for other bigger POs.

Hosting advice: better pick students on scholarships - they are generally more genuine, knowledgable, and know how to say thank you.